Read Online Don't Close Your Eyes! by R.L. Stine - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: R.L. Stine
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library,” Tara said. “Where we got the old book.”
“The lights are on,” Nicky said. “Do you think Mr. Park is awake?”
“If he isn't, we'll wake him up,” Tara said. She pulled hard, dragging me up the sloping front yard. “He has to help us. Max, you'll tell him what wedid tonight. The darkest place on the darkest night. You'll tell him it didn't work.”
We stepped up to the little house. The lights were on in the front room.
Nicky pushed the doorbell. “He'll know what to do,” he said. “He'll help us. I know he will.”
28
NICKYPUSHEDTHEBELL again. I saw a shadow move in the front window.
The front door opened a crack. Someone peeked out.
“Hi, it's me,” I said.
A chain slid off the door. The door opened wider, and I saw the storyteller's daughter, Sumner Park, squinting out at me. She wore a long purple bathrobe. Her hair was tied back.
“You're the boy who was here the other day?” she said.
I nodded. “Max Doyle. I need—”
“Max, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?” she asked. Of course, she couldn't see Nicky and Tara.
She stepped aside so I could come in. “It's nearly three in the morning. Do your parents know where you are?”
“Don't waste time answering her questions, Max,” Tara said. “Tell her to wake up her dad.”
“Okay,” I said. “I'll do it.”
“Do what?” Ms. Park asked.
“I need to see your dad,” I said. “It's very important.”
She studied me. “Look at your shoes. You're covered with mud. And you look so tired, Max. Something's wrong, isn't it. Let me call your parents.”
She reached for the phone on her desk.
Tara grabbed it away.
Ms. Park gasped. “That phone! It's floating in midair!”
“I … uh … heard the phone bills are going
up!”
I said. “Guess it's true.”
I grabbed the phone from Tara. “I don't want you to call my parents,” I said to the librarian. “I just need to see your father.”
“I'm sorry,” Ms. Park said. “He's asleep. I should be asleep too. But I was busy arranging books, and I lost track of the time.”
“We'll wake him,” Tara said. She and Nicky went running to the stairs.
“No! You can't!” I shouted to them.
“Can't what? Max, you're not making any sense,” Ms. Park said. “I really think we should call—”
“It—it's an emergency!” I stammered.
I ran after Nicky and Tara and followed them up the stairs.
“Hey! Come back!” Ms. Park shouted. “Youcan't go up there! Come back here! Tell me what this is about! Come back here!”
I was halfway up the stairs. She came chasing after me, shouting for me to stop.
I reached the landing and followed Nicky and Tara down the hall. I was gasping for air by the time we stopped at Mr. Park's bedroom. The door was shut. I grabbed the knob and turned it.
“Stop right there,” Ms. Park said sharply. “You can't go in, Max. My dad locks his door at night. No way are you going in.”
I sighed. “The door is locked?”
She nodded. “And he's a very sound sleeper.”
With a sad sigh, I turned to Nicky and Tara.
“Now
what are we going to do?”
29
“WHOAREYOUTALKING to?” Ms. Park asked.
I stared at the locked bedroom door.
Tara tapped me on the shoulder. “Max, did you forget Nicky and I are ghosts?”
Before I could answer, the two of them floated right through the door, into Mr. Park's bedroom.
“Let's go downstairs, Max,” Ms. Park said sternly. “I think you're in some kind of trouble. Come downstairs, and we can call your parents.”
“I
am
in trouble,” I told her. “But I think your dad can help me.”
“Maybe tomorrow,” she said. “I can't wake him up.”
But we heard the lock snap on the other side of the door. And Mr. Park's bedroom door swung open.
“Come in, Max. Hurry,” Tara said, pulling me through the doorway.
We ran to Mr. Park's bed. He was asleep on his back, the covers pulled up to his chin.
“How did you do that? How did you unlockthe door?” Sumner Park
“The lights are on,” Nicky said. “Do you think Mr. Park is awake?”
“If he isn't, we'll wake him up,” Tara said. She pulled hard, dragging me up the sloping front yard. “He has to help us. Max, you'll tell him what wedid tonight. The darkest place on the darkest night. You'll tell him it didn't work.”
We stepped up to the little house. The lights were on in the front room.
Nicky pushed the doorbell. “He'll know what to do,” he said. “He'll help us. I know he will.”
28
NICKYPUSHEDTHEBELL again. I saw a shadow move in the front window.
The front door opened a crack. Someone peeked out.
“Hi, it's me,” I said.
A chain slid off the door. The door opened wider, and I saw the storyteller's daughter, Sumner Park, squinting out at me. She wore a long purple bathrobe. Her hair was tied back.
“You're the boy who was here the other day?” she said.
I nodded. “Max Doyle. I need—”
“Max, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?” she asked. Of course, she couldn't see Nicky and Tara.
She stepped aside so I could come in. “It's nearly three in the morning. Do your parents know where you are?”
“Don't waste time answering her questions, Max,” Tara said. “Tell her to wake up her dad.”
“Okay,” I said. “I'll do it.”
“Do what?” Ms. Park asked.
“I need to see your dad,” I said. “It's very important.”
She studied me. “Look at your shoes. You're covered with mud. And you look so tired, Max. Something's wrong, isn't it. Let me call your parents.”
She reached for the phone on her desk.
Tara grabbed it away.
Ms. Park gasped. “That phone! It's floating in midair!”
“I … uh … heard the phone bills are going
up!”
I said. “Guess it's true.”
I grabbed the phone from Tara. “I don't want you to call my parents,” I said to the librarian. “I just need to see your father.”
“I'm sorry,” Ms. Park said. “He's asleep. I should be asleep too. But I was busy arranging books, and I lost track of the time.”
“We'll wake him,” Tara said. She and Nicky went running to the stairs.
“No! You can't!” I shouted to them.
“Can't what? Max, you're not making any sense,” Ms. Park said. “I really think we should call—”
“It—it's an emergency!” I stammered.
I ran after Nicky and Tara and followed them up the stairs.
“Hey! Come back!” Ms. Park shouted. “Youcan't go up there! Come back here! Tell me what this is about! Come back here!”
I was halfway up the stairs. She came chasing after me, shouting for me to stop.
I reached the landing and followed Nicky and Tara down the hall. I was gasping for air by the time we stopped at Mr. Park's bedroom. The door was shut. I grabbed the knob and turned it.
“Stop right there,” Ms. Park said sharply. “You can't go in, Max. My dad locks his door at night. No way are you going in.”
I sighed. “The door is locked?”
She nodded. “And he's a very sound sleeper.”
With a sad sigh, I turned to Nicky and Tara.
“Now
what are we going to do?”
29
“WHOAREYOUTALKING to?” Ms. Park asked.
I stared at the locked bedroom door.
Tara tapped me on the shoulder. “Max, did you forget Nicky and I are ghosts?”
Before I could answer, the two of them floated right through the door, into Mr. Park's bedroom.
“Let's go downstairs, Max,” Ms. Park said sternly. “I think you're in some kind of trouble. Come downstairs, and we can call your parents.”
“I
am
in trouble,” I told her. “But I think your dad can help me.”
“Maybe tomorrow,” she said. “I can't wake him up.”
But we heard the lock snap on the other side of the door. And Mr. Park's bedroom door swung open.
“Come in, Max. Hurry,” Tara said, pulling me through the doorway.
We ran to Mr. Park's bed. He was asleep on his back, the covers pulled up to his chin.
“How did you do that? How did you unlockthe door?” Sumner Park
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